Trump Bans New Foreign Students from Harvard

In a dramatic escalation of his administration’s ongoing clash with academia, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an immediate ban on foreign students seeking to begin studies at Harvard University, citing national security concerns and alleged institutional bias.

“I have determined that it is necessary to restrict the entry of foreign nationals who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard,” Trump said in a statement released late Wednesday.

The proclamation, which took effect immediately, applies to students entering the U.S. for the first time under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to attend Harvard. It also warned that current international students enrolled at the institution face visa reviews and could have their existing visas revoked.

The decision marks a sharp intensification in Trump’s long-standing feud with Harvard, an Ivy League institution that has repeatedly pushed back against his administration’s efforts to influence recruitment policies, curriculum decisions, and research priorities.

According to Trump, the ban was essential to protect the country’s national interests. “In my judgement, it presents an unacceptable risk to our Nation’s security for an academic institution to refuse to provide sufficient information, when asked, about known instances of misconduct and criminality committed by its foreign students,” he declared.

He further accused the university of denying opportunities to hardworking Americans, saying: “Harvard and its affiliated organizations on campus continue to deny hardworking Americans equal opportunities.”

“It is not in the interest of the United States,” Trump added, “to further compound Harvard’s discrimination against non-preferred races, national origins, shared ancestries, or religions by reducing opportunities for American students through excessive foreign student enrollment.”

So far, the restriction appears to target Harvard exclusively, and not other universities. However, the broader tone of the administration has indicated a wider immigration crackdown on international students, especially those from China. Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to “aggressively revoke” student visas linked to security concerns.

The move comes just days after a federal judge extended a temporary block on a prior effort by Trump to limit international enrollment at Harvard, signaling what may become a prolonged legal battle between the university and the federal government.

Neither Harvard University nor the State Department has released an official response as of Thursday morning.